1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catheter assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for connecting a distal portion of a catheter assembly to a collection receptacle.
2. Background of the Invention
The urinary catheterization procedure is a common medical practice with the procedure being performed today in both hospital and home settings. In hospital settings today, nurses often perform urinary catheterization procedures using convenience packs, or pre-assembled kits. These convenience packs typically contain a vinyl, red latex rubber, or silicon catheter, a waterproof absorbent underpad, a fenestrated drape, disposable gloves, a sealed packet containing about 22.5 mL of Povidone-Iodine solution, several prepping cotton balls in a disposable tray compartment, a sealed packet containing sterile lubricating jelly, a plastic forceps, a sterile specimen bottle, and a 1000 mL graduated basin. All of these items are packaged together and sterilized.
To perform the catheterization procedure, a nurse opens the tray, dons sterile gloves and places the drape around the patient's genitalia. The Povidone-Iodine packet is opened and poured over the cotton balls. The packet of lubricating jelly is then opened and squeezed onto a sterile field. The patient's urethral opening is cleansed with the saturated cotton balls, holding each cotton ball with the forceps. Then, the nurse runs the tip end of the catheter, comprising the first inch or two (about 2.5 cm to about 5 cm) of the insertable portion, through the lubricating jelly. The catheter is then inserted into the patient's urethra and advanced until urine begins to flow through the catheter. The urine is drained into the 1000 mL graduated basin and a urine specimen is caught in the specimen bottle if needed. The catheter is then removed and all the aforementioned items are discarded. Care must be taken to maintain sterile procedure in order to reduce the risk of urinary tract infection.
In order to collect the drained fluid, the 1000 mL graduated basin is typically positioned between the patient's legs during catheterization. Therefore, the basin is susceptible to being struck by a spastic or an uncooperative patient. This can result in spilling of the collected fluid or in making it very difficult for the nurse to perform the catheterization. After the urine is collected, the nurse typically will carry the 1000 mL graduated basin to the toilet and pour out its contents. During this trip, the nurse may spill some of the urine due to difficulty in handling the filled basin or as a result of the nurse's stumbling during her walk from the patient's bed to the bathroom.
Because multiple steps are involved in the catheterization procedure (e.g., carrying the unwieldy urine filled 1000 mL graduated basin to the toilet) and meticulous attention to maintain sterile technique is required, a nurse typically spends a significant amount of time (e.g., 10-15 minutes) carrying out each catheterization. This basic procedure is used in virtually every inpatient hospital around the world, and has remained essentially the same for 50 years.
Thus, there is a need in the healthcare industry for a more convenient and streamlined technique for collecting and disposing the fluid collected from the catheterization process.